^ because the F/A-18 is a development of the F-18, which was a competitor against the F-16 for lightweight fighters. it's simple and effective compared to 4.5/5th generation fighters. The YF-18 lost the USAF contest, but was taken in by the USN. Unlike the YF-32 and X-35, US DoD decided that their armed services are to use pretty much the same airframe, kaya lumaki ng lumaki budget